IAN BELL is hoping he and his fellow England batsmen can follow captain Andrew Strauss’ shining example of how to play the perfect one-day international innings.

Strauss’ career-best 158 helped England reach 338 for eight under lights in their stirring and record-breaking World Cup Group B tie against tournament favourites India at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Sunday.

He shared a ground-record third-wicket stand of 170 with Bell, who said: “It was the best knock I have seen for a long, long time – and probably the best knock I have ever seen from an England player.

“It had everything.

“He hit his boundaries when he wanted to; he rotated the strike; he played his sweeps – and he looked very hard to bowl to.”

England, level with India on three points at the top of the table after Sunday’s titanic encounter, must turn their attention next to a return to the same venue to face Ireland tomorrow. Bell, for one, will be out to show he has learned from his captain.

“It really was a template of how you play a proper one-day innings,” he added.

“He has done that for a while for us now. If the rest of us can take that role on and get that big hundred it will help us in this competition, big time.”

Stuart Broad had to miss Sunday’s match because of a stomach upset. But the fast bowler’s condition has improved, and England expect him to be able to practise today.

In yesterday’s games, Zimbabwe, who posted 298-9, notched up their first World Cup win as they inflicted a 175-run defeat on Canada (123) in a Group A clash at Nagpur, spin claiming all 10 Canadian wickets, while in Group B West Indies (330-8) crushed Holland (115) by 215 runs with their paceman Kemar Roach taking 6-27 in Delhi.